Boarding time in Dubai?

We received our Cruise tickets today and it states the boarding time is from 20.00 hours until 10.30 the following day. Is 20.00 the earliest time you can board and if so why??? Usually when we cruise boarding time is normally 12'oclock ish. Anyone that has been on the Costa Serena in Dubai may be able to help. Thanks

The flights for disembarking passengers tend to leave late or through the night, so Costa allows them to stay late onboard. Costa / port authoritiew will probably not allow embrking / disembarking to mingle on the ship.

I'm going on this cruise (and have done so in the last 3 years albeit different ships). I emailed the UK office to check out boarding times etc and was told they will start letting people on from 16.00 but cabins will not be available until 20.00.

As Ron says, this is not a normal crise situation as flights tend to arrive and depart late evening and early morning. You don't lose out though as you get go keep your cabin longer on the last day if you need to. I've had it as late as 15.00. Won't be staying that long tips time as I want to get to my hotel around midday.

Not sure aboutbthisntime but in previous years you have been able to drop off luggage much earlier in the day. I dropped mine off around 10am last year and then used one of the free shuttle buses to a mall to kill some time until we could boRd later. They also provide a room onboard where they will store hand luggage until. Abins are available.

There is no dinner in the MDR only the buffet as people are coming and going all night long.

I asked Costa what time we could board and was told 1.00pm!

We are on an Emirates overnight flight which gets into Dubai at 8.10am on the Friday. It will be an awful long day if we can't board till 3.00pm and get our cabin till 8.00pm. Is this definite?

Thanks for your replies. We will already be in Dubai the day before boarding so if 8'oclock is the boarding time, we will stay at the Hotel until then and on our last day we are again staying over so it doesn't matter what time we leave the ship that day. We are doing a back to back from 16th til 30th Jan, has anyone got an experience of this in Dubai with Costa?

I asked Costa what time we could board and was told 1.00pm!

We are on an Emirates overnight flight which gets into Dubai at 8.10am on the Friday. It will be an awful long day if we can't board till 3.00pm and get our cabin till 8.00pm. Is this definite?

Well it is what they told me and what happened the last 2 years. First year I had Costa flights and we arrived around 1am, so don't know when they had started boarding that day.

I do my own flights and arrive earlier and have a night in a hotel. It is a long day otherwise. You will be able to get rid of your luggage though. Suggest that you either grab a taxi to do something in Dubai to pass time or take advantage of some of the free shuttles to malls.

You see a lot of people sleeping on sun beds on the first and last days with flights arriving and departing late night and morning

Do Costa allow self embarkation where you walk off with your own luggage on the last day?

We are arriving this Friday (9th) in Dubai on an overnight flight at 7.10 am.

I was told that Embarkation would start at 12.00 noon, although they may let us on earlier.

Wouldn't be too happy about waiting until 20.00!

I phoned Costa direct yesterday and was told boarding time was 8.00pm. Cruise Nation who we booked with say they have been advised boarding will start at 4.00pm but we won't get into our cabin till 8.00pm!!

I phoned Costa direct yesterday and was told boarding time was 8.00pm. Cruise Nation who we booked with say they have been advised boarding will start at 4.00pm but we won't get into our cabin till 8.00pm!!

That is the same as what I've been told.

Costa would do themselves and their passengers a favour if they were clearer on all of this. Even passengers not booking their own flights and hotels, still want to know whether they are going to be hanging around for hours after an overnight flight.

We are arriving this Friday (9th) in Dubai on an overnight flight at 7.10 am.

I was told that Embarkation would start at 12.00 noon, although they may let us on earlier.

Wouldn't be too happy about waiting until 20.00!

Honestly I would have a plan B. The only thing you are going to be able to check in that early in the morning is your luggage. The comfy seats in the terminal are not very plentiful, so get snapped up quick.

Given people leaving. An often hold on to their cabins until 3pm, so makes sense that they are not available for embarking passengers until 8pm.

Last year they told me 4pm but started around 3.

I'm not going to head to the port until around 5 or 6. May even have dinner in Dubai before going to the port, as they only have a buffet available the first night and it is a bit of a scrum.

Do Costa allow self embarkation where you walk off with your own luggage on the last day?

Hi All

Did you get any replies to this question Edinburghgirl1? We have a very ealr flight back departing Dubai at 0830 so we need to leave the ship approx 0500 to get to the airport, check in etc. Does anyone know if this is ok with the staff, i.e. that we just keep our luggage in the our cabin and walk off with it, or does it have to go through some kind of security process? Any guidance greatly received.

I did not get any replies to my question about self disembarkation. Maybe best to phone Costa direct to ask. Our flight isn't till 2.45pm on our last day so we are hoping to stay on the ship a bit longer and self disembark around 12.00pm.

Don't know about self embarkation as I've never wanted to do it (case too big and heavy to lug off myself). You may be better to start a new thread asking this question as it is more of a general Costa question than a Serena Dubai specific one.

What I do know is this cruise doesn't work like normal ones with everyone leaving within an hour or so of each other. In the morning. People come and go at all times. You fill in a form to tell them flight details if you don't have Costa flights and transfers or the time you want to leave if going on to hotels. I've left as late as 10pm on disembarkation day. Last year around lunch time and the year before around 3-4pm. There are people leaving in the wee hours too. You'll not be the only one with an early morning flight.

If you've not left from DXB before, do not cut it too fine. Dropping off bags is no worse than anywhere else and sometimes better (regardless of terminal) but Passport control can be an absolute nightmare. Last year it took over an hour. There was a member of staff directing which queue to join. He could see I had a Britsih passport in my hand. The queue I was in was moving very slowly (not that the others were really that much quicker). The female official was looking at every page in everyone passports and not a quick flick through but taking her time. After 40-45 minute wait, it was my turn. Again she looked at every page like shed done with everyone else but at the end, instaed of applying an exit stamp, she told me to go to another queue at the end. No explanation given. So had to join another queue(there is no arguing with them that is for sure). Took around another 20 minutes to get to see the official at that desk. He did the slow scan through every page too, then finally stamped my passport and handed it back. No idea to this day what the issue was but instaed of having time for a coffee and a leisurely stroll to my gate at a distant point, I had to jog part of the way to the gate and they'd already commenced boarding when I got there.

So seriously allow 2 hours or more I was there about 2 and a quarter hours before and I got my flight with only around 10-15 minutes to spare.

I've previously had long waits entering DXB but this was the first time leaving.

We are arriving this Friday (9th) in Dubai on an overnight flight at 7.10 am.

I was told that Embarkation would start at 12.00 noon, although they may let us on earlier.

Wouldn't be too happy about waiting until 20.00!

We also have a similar arrival time but our cruise is in March. On your return could you post to let us know how your emarkation went - time etc?? May need to prepare ourselves if we cant get a room till 20.00!!

any of your comment would be gratefully accepted

Have a great Cruise !!

We are at Dubai Port terminal now. Arrived before 10 am this morning. Costa staff very helpful..

They take your luggage (tagged with your cabin number) and say that these will be at your Cabin at 20.00. So you don't have to worry about those anymore, and they check your passport and boarding cards, and you fill in the medical form, but they give these back to you.

You are then free to go into Dubai by taxi, or the first free shuttle bus to a Mall is at 13.15, if you want to.

We are to begin boarding at 15.00.

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Again thanks. My brother who is also on your cruise messaged me to say they had gone off on the open top bus after checking in their bags. They may have been on your flight if it was from Gatwick!!

We are at Dubai Port terminal now. Arrived before 10 am this morning. Costa staff very helpful..

They take your luggage (tagged with your cabin number) and say that these will be at your Cabin at 20.00. So you don't have to worry about those anymore, and they check your passport and boarding cards, and you fill in the medical form, but they give these back to you.

You are then free to go into Dubai by taxi, or the first free shuttle bus to a Mall is at 13.15, if you want to.

We are to begin boarding at 15.00.

 

 

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Thanks for the update, that is pretty UCH the same as last year but good to have it confirmed.

Enjoy your cruise.

We are at Dubai Port terminal now. Arrived before 10 am this morning. Costa staff very helpful..

They take your luggage (tagged with your cabin number) and say that these will be at your Cabin at 20.00. So you don't have to worry about those anymore, and they check your passport and boarding cards, and you fill in the medical form, but they give these back to you.

You are then free to go into Dubai by taxi, or the first free shuttle bus to a Mall is at 13.15, if you want to.

We are to begin boarding at 15.00.

 

 

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Thank you so much for taking the time to report back to us. Hoping you have a wonderful cruise - any on board tips or trip reports would be gratefully accepted. I am in the process of planning our excursions at the moment.

I've just booked this cruise for Jan 16th. Last minute but a great deal. We are actually doing the same flights the edinburghgirl done.

What would everyone recommend to be the best choice of how to spend the day or arrival/boarding (in terms of seeing us much as possible)? The open top bus tour sounds good, does this pick up/drop off at the cruise terminal?

Thanks,

David

Have a look online re open top bus I'm sure I saw that you can pick it up at the port

I've just booked this cruise for Jan 16th. Last minute but a great deal. We are actually doing the same flights the edinburghgirl done.

 

What would everyone recommend to be the best choice of how to spend the day or arrival/boarding (in terms of seeing us much as possible)? The open top bus tour sounds good, does this pick up/drop off at the cruise terminal?

 

Thanks,

David

You can get the open top bus from the port. Think they have a feeder service to the main stop and route.

Near in mind that unlike in other cities the cost of the bus is very expensive compared to the cost of using taxis which are plentiful, relaible and government controlled.

As for what to do, it really depends on tyour interests. You could

1.Pre book tickets for the Burj Khalifa and spend the day there and at Dubai Mall and Souk al Bahar. Have a meal, see the fountains whatever. You could even have a meal or afternoon tea in the BurjKhalifa by prebooking at At.Mosphere

2. Head to Dubai creek. Go to the Museum and the Gold, Dpice and Textile Souks, take an Abra ride across Te Creek, go and see the Dhow wharfage

3. Go to Dubai Marina and the Walk and spend some time at the beach.

4. Have a day of luxury at one of the big hotels. Book for lunch or afternoon tea and spend some time in their spa relaxing and unwinding. The Ottoman Talise has the most beautiful Amman on the Palm. Go to Stlantis for the day. Quote a few hotels will allow day guests to use their pools, beach or other facilities especially if you are booked for a meal.

Really the list of what you ann do is endless and depends on what interests you. Have a look at Trip advisor for some great ideas.

Thank you!

I think my plan will be to go from the airport to port around 9am, drop the bags, get to the Burj and go up to the top, a look in the mall and then back to the ship.

When the ship arrives back in Dubai, we'll spend that day at the Dubai Creek, perhaps the Marina

I assume there isn't a shuttle from the Mall of the Emirates to Port Rashid?

Thanks for the help!

Thank you!

 

I think my plan will be to go from the airport to port around 9am, drop the bags, get to the Burj and go up to the top, a look in the mall and then back to the ship.

 

When the ship arrives back in Dubai, we'll spend that day at the Dubai Creek, perhaps the Marina

 

I assume there isn't a shuttle from the Mall of the Emirates to Port Rashid?

 

Thanks for the help!

No I don't think so. Last hear they had a counter with a notice as you entered the terminal telling you the times for the various free Mall shuttles. From what I remember they weren't for the more popular ones like MoE or Dubai Mall.

Thank you!

 

I think my plan will be to go from the airport to port around 9am, drop the bags, get to the Burj and go up to the top, a look in the mall and then back to the ship.

 

When the ship arrives back in Dubai, we'll spend that day at the Dubai Creek, perhaps the Marina

 

I assume there isn't a shuttle from the Mall of the Emirates to Port Rashid?

 

Thanks for the help!

We were planning on doing similar.....Are you going to pre-buy tickets for the Burj ? I'm just a bit concerned about any flight delays and would miss our slotted time.

Can anyone tell me how far it is from the Burj to the Marina via taxi